'/\q'^  .•^^'    1^13 


^ 


CONNECTICUT 


S 


Agricultural  Experiment  Station  "^^  '  ^- 


NE^AT  HAVEN,  CONN. 


BULLETIN    193,   MARCH,   1917. 


TESTS   OF  SOY  BEANS,   1916. 

(NOTE  ON  THE  PLANT  FOOD  IN  A  CORN  CROP.) 

By    E.    H.    JENKINS,    JOHN    PHILLIPS    STREET    AND 
C.    D.    HUBBELL. 


CONTENTS. 

Page 

Soy  Bean  Oil 3 

Meal 4 

Seed 4 

Forage 5 

Yield  and  Composition 5 

Comparison  of  Varieties 7 

Soy  Beans  as  Green  Manure 7 

Cow  Peas 8 

Suggestions  for  Growing  Soy  Beans 8 

What  Uses  Can  be  Made  of  Soy  Beans  in  Connecticut 9 

Note  on  the  Plant  Food  in  a  Corn  Crop 11 

The  Bulletins  of  this  Station  are  mailed  free  to  citizens  of  Con- 
necticut who  apply  for  them,  and  to  others  as  far  as  the  editions 
permit. 


CONNECTICUT  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION. 

OFFICERS  AND  STAFF. 


BOARD  OF  CONTROL. 

His  Excellency,  Marcus  H.  Holcomb,  ex-officio.  President. 

Prof.  H.  W.  Conn,  Vice  President Middletown 

George  A.  Hopson,  Secretary Wallingford 

E.  H.  Jenkins,  Director  and  Treasurer New  Haven 

J  oseph  W.  Alsop Avon 

Wilson  H.  Lee Orange 

Frank  H.  Stadtmueller Elmwood 

James  H.  Webb Hamden 


Administration. 


E.  H.  Jenkins,  Ph.D.,  Director  and  Treasurer. 

Miss  V.  E.  Cole,  Librarian  and  Stenographer. 

Miss  L.   M.  Brautlecht,  Bookkeeper  and  Stenographer. 

William  Veitch,  In  charge  of  Buildings  and  Grounds. 


Chemistry. 
Analytical    Laboratory.  John  Phillips  Street,  M.S.,  Chemist  in  Charge. 
L.  Monroe  Bailey,  Ph.D., 
C.  B.  Moeison,  B.S.,  C.  E.  Shepard, 
Hugo  Lange,  Laboratory  Helper. 
V.  L.  Churchill,  Sampling  Agent. 


-  Assistants. 


Proteid  Research. 


T.  B.  Osborne,  Ph.D.,  D.Sc.,  Chemist  in  Charge. 
Miss  E.  L.  Ferry,  M.S.,  Assistant. 


Botany. 


G.  P.  Clinton,   Sc.D.,  Botanist. 

E.  M.  Stoddard,  B.S.,  Assistant  Botanist. 

G.  E.  Graham,  General  Assistant. 


Entomology. 


W.  E.  Britton,  Ph.D.,  Entomologist;    State  Entomologist. 

B.  H.  Walden,  B.Agr.,  First  Assistant. 

Q.  S.  LowRY,  B.Sc.  I.  W.  Davis.  B.Sc,  \  Assistants. 

M.  P.  Zappe,  B.S.,  ' 

Miss  G.  A.  Foote,  B.A.,  Stenographer. 


Forestry. 


Walter  O.  Filley,  Forester;    also  State  Forester 

and  State  Forest  Fire  Warden. 
A.  E.  Moss,  M.F.,  Assistant  State  and  Station  Forester. 
Miss  E.  L.  Avery,  Stenographer. 


Plant  Breeding. 


Donald  F.  Jones,  M.S.,  Plant  Breeder. 
C.  D.  HuBBELL,  Assistant. 


Vegetable   Growing. 


Howard  F.  Huber,  B.S. 


TESTS  OF  SOY  BEANS  IN  1916. 

By  E.  H.  Jenkins,*  John  Phillips  Street 

AND    C.    D.    HUBBELL. 


During  1916  a  considerable  number  of  field  tests  of  soy  beans 
have  been  made  by  farmers  in  this  State.  The  County  Agents 
of  the  Extension  Department  of  the  Agricultural  College  have 
placed  and  superintended  these  tests,  and  the  two  Stations  have 
cooperated  in  making  water  determinations  and,  in  some  cases, 
chemical  analyses  of  the  crops. 

This  Station  also  provided  most  of  the  seed  and  furnished 
artificial  cultures  for  inoculation. 

The  results  of  these  farm  tests  may  be  reported  separately. 

The  purpose  of  this  bulletin  is  to  record  the  results  of  the 
Station's  tests  at  Mount  Carmel  in  1916  and  certain  other  data 
which  concern  the  soy  bean  crop. 

There  are  four  products  derived  from  this  crop,  one  or  more 
of  which  give  it  importance  in  different  sections  of  the  country. 
These  are  the  oil,  the  oil  cake  or  meal,  the  seed,  and  the  forage, 
which  is  used  either  for  hay,  ensilage,  soiling  cattle,  or  as  a 
green  manure. 

SOY  BEAN  OIL. 

Among  the  thirteen  varieties  of  soy  beans  grown  at  this  Sta- 
tion in  1914,  the  yield  per  acre  ranged  from  15  to  32^  bushels 
(of  sixty  pounds)  and  averaged  25  bushels.  This  is  a  larger 
yield  than  was  obtained  in  the  two  succeeding  years.  The  per- 
centage of  oil  in  the  seed  ranged  from  14.5  to  19.0  and 
averaged  16.6. 

The  average  quantity  of  oil  contained  in  the  seed  per  acre 
was   therefore   about  249   pounds,   three-quarters   of   which,   or 


*  Mr.  C.  D.  Hubbell,  the  farm  manager,  has  had  charge  of  the  field 
work  and  has  taken  the  field  data ;  the  chemical  work  has  been  done 
under  the  direction  of  Mr.  J.  P.  Street,  chief  chemist,  and  the  results 
have  been  arranged  and  discussed  by  the  director. 


4  CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION    BULLETIN    I93. 

about  186  pounds,  equivalent  to  24  gallons,  could  have  been 
obtained  by  crushing  and  pressure  with  suitable  machinery.  The 
present  quotation  (Feb.  16,  1917)  of  soy  bean  oil  in  New  York 
is  eleven  to  thirteen  cents  per  pound  or  from  84  cents  to  $1.00 
per  gallon. 

This  oil  is  semi-drying  and  is  used  as  a  partial  substitute  for 
linseed  oil  in  paints,  as  well  as  in  the  manufacture  of  soaps, 
enamels,  linoleum  and  waterproofing  material.  To  some  extent 
it  doubtless  finds  its  way  into  butter  substitutes  and  salad  oils. 

At  present  North  Carolina  leads  in  the  growing  of  soy  beans 
and  in  soy  bean  oil  production. 

Large  quantities  of  the  oil  are  imported  yearly  and  its  pro- 
duction in  this  country  is  rapidly  increasing  in  several  of  the 
southern  states,  where  cotton-oil  mills  can  be  profitably  used 
for  its  extraction  from  the  seed,  but  it  does  not  seem  likely  that 
this  industry  can  be  established  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

SOY  BEAN  MEAL. 

The  1,500  pounds  of  seed  per  acre  which  we  raised  in  1914 
would  have  yielded,  after  the  extraction  of  oil,  about  1,200  pounds 
of  cake  or  meal. 

This  meal  contains  about  7.4  per  cent  of  nitrogen  (equivalent 
to  46.2  per  cent  of  protein),  1.4  per  cent  of  phosphoric  acid  and 
1.8  per  cent  of  potash. 

It  is  an  excellent  cattle  feed,  is  richer  in  protein  than  is  cotton- 
seed meal,  and  is  used  in  the  Orient  for  human  food  also. 

At  present  the  output  of  southern  mills  is  chiefly  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  fertilizers. 

SOY  BEAN  SEED. 

Soy  beans  are  quoted  in  our  local  market,  in  bushel  lots,  at 
$2.75  to  $3.75,  depending  on  the  variety.  Mammoth  Yellow  is 
quoted  at  $2.75,  Hollybrook  at  $3.00,  and  Ito  San  and  Black  are 
quoted  at  $3.75  each. 

At  these  rates,  a  yield  of  25  bushels  of  seed  per  acre  would 
sell  at  prices  ranging  from  $68.75  to  $93.75.  The  beans  can  be 
threshed  by  hand  or,  with  less  loss  from  sphtting  the  seed,  in 
a  bean  thresher,  and  the  leaves  and  trash  can  be  plowed  under 


SOY    BEAN    FORAGE.  5 

or  composted  with  manure.     The  seed  should  be  well  dried  before 
storage,  otherwise  it  is  quite  subject  to  damage  from  heating. 

If  the  scarcity  of  food  in  this  country  increases,  it  is  likely 
that  soy  beans  will  be  in  demand  for  human  food. 

SOY  BEAN  FORAGE. 

At  present  the  soy  bean  will  be  grown  in  this  State  chiefly 
for  hay,  ensilage,  soiling,  or  hog  pasture. 

In  our  previous  bulletins,  185  and  191,  which  are  still  avail- 
able, these  uses  were  discussed,  and  our  own  field  tests  in  1914 
and  191 5  and  twenty  others  made  by  farmers  in  different  parts 
of  the  State,  as  suggested  by  the  Station,  were  also  given. 

In  1916  the  work  was  continued  at  Mount  Carmel,  and  the 
results  are  given  in  following  pages.  In  the  table  are  given 
the  names  of  the  varieties  grown,  the  yields  per  acre,  and  the 
composition  of  the  crops. 

Yield  and  Composition  of  Varieties  of  Soy  Beans  Grown 
AT  Mt.  Carmel  in  1916. 

Yield,  pounds 
Daj'S  to  per  acre.  Analysis  of  crop  as  harvested. 

Varietj'.  Maturity.     Fresh.      Water-free.    Water.     Ash.     Protein.    Fiber.  Extract.   Fat. 

Ito  San 105  10,367  2,615  74-8  2.0  4.4  6.7  10.8  1.3 

Cloud    127  9,409  2,574  72.6  2.0  4.2  7.8  II. 9  1. 5 

Swan    127  12,893  3>2i3  75.1  1.8  4.1  6.3  11. 6  i.i 

Morse    121  10,890  2,824  74.1  1.9  3.2  6.6  13.0  1.2 

HoUybrook    121  10,019  2,630  73.8  2.2  3.7  6.2  13.0  i.i 

Wilson    116  11,326  2,515  77.8  1.6  3.7  5.7  9.9  1.3 

Ohio  7496    113  8,668  2,406  72.2  2.1  3.9  6.7  13.3  1.8 

Manchuria    113  7,362  2,249  69.5  2.5  6.4  6.5  12.2  2.9 

Arlington    127  8,407  2,431  71. i  2.0  4.7  7.5  12.8  1.9 

O'Kute    116  13,590  3,152  76.8  1.8  3.6  5-5  10.5  1.8 

Wing's  Mongol   .  116  8,015  1,992  75.2  2.0  4.0  6.6  10.7  1.5 

Medium  Green    ..  121  10,237  3,325  67.5  2.2  6.6  7.6  13.0  3.1 

Ebony   113  8,494  2,459  71.0  2.3  5.7  7.5  11.3  2.2 

Kentucky  10    ....  116  12,806  3,173  75.2  2.0  4.5  6.0  10.4  1.9 

Kentucky  11    ....  116  8,276  2,410  70.9  2.3  5.1  6.3  13.0  2.4 

Kentucky  24    ....  116  8,015  2,010  74.9  2.0  5.2  5.4  10.2  2.3 

Black  Eyebrow  ..  116  8,494  2,226  73.8  2.0  4.8  6.7  10.7  2.0 

Average    9,839  2,600  73.3  2.0  4.6  6.6  11.7  1.8 

The  yields  in  almost  all  cases  are  disappointing.  Thus,  the 
average  yields  in  pounds  per  acre  of  twenty  varieties  at  Mount 


6  CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION    BULLETIN    I93. 

Carmel  in  191 6,  compared  with  the  yields  of  the  thirteen  varieties 
grown  in  1914  and  1915,  are  as  follows: 

Year.  Fresh  Forage.  Dry  Matter. 

1914 ^izsi  5275 

I9IS  • I694I  4056 

I9I6 9918  2602 

The  average  yield  of  six  of  the  seven  tests  of  soy  beans  grown 
elsewhere  this  year,  referred  to  above,  was  10,580  pounds  of 
green  forage,  with  3,315  pounds  of  dry  matter. 

We  apprehend  that  the  small  yields  on  our  own  field  were  due 
to  a  variety  of  causes.  The  beans  were  grown  where  they  had 
never  been  grown  before  and  the  land  may  not  have  been  fully 
inoculated,  although  abundant  nodules  were  found  on  the  plants 
which  were  specially  examined.  They  were  planted  late,  and 
scarcity  of  labor  made  timely  tillage  and  weed  destruction  impos- 
sible. Moreover,  our  previous  experience  has  indicated  that  the 
first  crop  of  soy  beans  on  new  land  is  likely  to  be  disappointing. 
There  is  also^  to  be  considered  perhaps  the  possibility  of  the 
inferiority  of  home-grown  seed  although  the  laboratory  tests 
of  the  seed  showed  almost  perfect  germinating  power. 

Of  the  crops  grown  elsewhere,  that  from  N.  S.  Stevens,  East 
Canaan,  yielding  9  tons  per  acre,  with  2.3  tons  of  dry  matter, 
is  very  satisfactory.  Two  others,  yielding  5  and  6  tons  of  fresh 
forage,  are  fair.  The  others,  like  all  of  our  own,  are  quite 
inferior  in  quantity. 

The  composition  of  the  dry  matter  of  the  Mount  Carmel  crops 
in  1914  and  1916  shows  that  the  latter  is  richer  in  protein,  fat 
and  carbohydrates,  but  this  difference  does  not  nearly  compensate 
for  the  much  smaller  yield. 

Percentage  Composition  of  Dry  Matter  in  the  Crops  of 
1914  and  1916. 

igr4.  1916. 

Ash  8.8  T.7 

Protein  16.4  17.1 

Fiber  29.3  24.9 

Carbohydrates   40.0  43.7 

Fat 5.5  6.6 

Twelve  varieties  have  been  grown  at  Mount  Carmel  for  three 
years  in  succession.  For  two  years  the  seed  planted  was  from 
the  crop  raised  on  the  same  land  the  year  before. 


SOY    BEANS    AS    GREEN    MANURE.  7 

These  varieties  are  here  given  with  their  average  yearly  yield 
in  pounds  per  acre  of  dry  matter  in  the  forage,  and  the  average 
number  of  days  from  planting  to  maturity. 

The  yield  of  Kentucky  and  O'Kute  are  uncertain.  One  variety 
suffered  in  one  year  from  unfavorable  position,  and  in  the  other, 
dry  matter  was  estimated  from  the  weight  of  green  forage. 

Average  Yield  of  Soy  Beans  for  Three  Years. 

Pounds  of 

Dry  Matter  Days  from 

per  Year.  Planting  to  Harvest. 

Wilson    3,329  122 

Medium  Green 3,281  122 

Swan  3,276  130 

Ebony    3,230  117 

Cloud    3,201  134 

Arlington  3,114  128 

Kentucky    3,039  ?                    118 

O  Kute  2,849  ?                    120 

Hollybrook    2,698  132 

Ito  San 2,609  112 

Morse    2,680  126 

Mongol  2,406  122 

Of  these,  Wilson,  Ebony  and  Cloud  have  small  black  seeds. 
Cloud  is  distinctly  twining;  Ebony  is  erect  but  falls  easily. 


SOY  BEANS  AS  GREEN  MANURE. 

The  very  unsatisfactory  yield  of  soy  beans  this  year,  to  which 
reference  has  been  made,  greatly  reduces  the  value  of  the  1916 
crop  as  a  green  manure.  It  is  only  about  four-sevenths  of  the 
average  value  of  the  two  previous  crops.  The  crops  of  the  last 
three  years,  exclusive  of  roots,  contained  per  acre : 

Organic  matter  3,637  pounds 

Nitrogen    1 1 1        " 

Phosphoric  acid   20       " 

Potash    79 

and  would  add  or  return  these  quantities  to  the  soil  when  turned 
under. 

The  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  were  simply  taken  by  the  crop 
from  the  stock  in  the  soil.  A  very  considerable  part  of  the  nitro- 
gen, however,  variously  estimated  from  one-half  to  two-thirds, 


8  CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION    BULLETIN    I93. 

is  a  dividend  on  this  stock,  having  been  gathered  from  the  air 
and  fixed  in  forms  available  to  crops. 

This  is  not  the  only  dividend.  The  organic  matter,  derived 
wholly  from  air  and  water,  supplies  a  lodging  and  food  for  soil 
bacteria,  which  in  turn  liberate  carbonic  acid  and  other  solvents 
of  plant  food  within  the  soil.  The  importance  of  easily  decom- 
posing organic  matter  in  the  light  sandy  soils  of  the  State  is  not 
often  sufficiently  considered. 

Five  and  seven-tenths  tons  of  stable  manure  would  supply  the 
same  amount  of  organic  matter,  25  pounds  more  of  phosphoric 
acid,  but  33  pounds  less  of  nitrogen  and  somewhat  less  potash 
than  a  rather  low  yield  of  soy  beans. 

Two  varieties  of  cow  peas  were  grown  in  1916  in  the  same 
field  as  the  soy  beans,  on  land  which  had  been  diiTerently  treated 
but  was  considered  well  adapted  for  either  crop. 

No  close  comparison  between  soy  beans  and  cow  peas  is 
possible  here,  but  the  data  may  be  recorded  as  of  interest. 

Yield  of  Cow  Peas  in  Pounds  Per  Acre 

WhippoorwilL  Brahman. 

Organic  matter 2,542  2,160 

Nitrogen    54  50 

Average  Composition  of  the  Dry  Matter  of  Soy  Beans  and 
Cow  Peas  Grown  at  Mount  Carmel.     1916. 

Soy  Beans.  Cow  Peas. 

WhippoorwilL  Brahman. 

Ash     7.7  II.6  9.8 

Protein    17.1  11.8  13.0 

Fiber   24.9  21.5  21. i 

Extract  43.7  53.0  54.3 

Fat  6.6  2.1  1.8 

lOO.O  lOO.O  lOO.O 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THE  GROWING  OF  SOY  BEANS. 

The  following  hints  may  be  helpful  to  any  who  plan  to  grow 
soy  beans  this  year. 

Soil.  A  rich  soil  is  not  necessary.  The  crop  has  done  well 
on  rather  light  sandy  soil.    A  good  seedbed  is  essential. 

Fertilisers.  If  land  is  in  fair  condition  of  fertility,  use  no 
fertihzer.     On  poor  land,  200  to  300  pounds  of  acid  phosphate 


DIRECTIONS    FOR    GROWING    SOY    BEANS.  9 

may  be  applied.  Liming  is  an  advantage,  but  generally  not 
essential  if  the  soil  is  not  very  acid. 

Inoculation.  By  all  means  inoculate,  either  with  500  pounds 
of  soil  from  a  field  where  soy  beans  have  been  lately  grown,  or 
with  a  commercial  culture.  If  inoculating  soil  is  used,  spread 
soon  after  digging  it,  and  harrow  in  as  soon  as  possible. 

Time  of  planting.  To  get  the  best  yield  of  forage,  plant  imme- 
diately after  corn.  Planting  for  soiling  or  for  green  manuring 
may  be  done  as  early  as  May  first  and  as  late  as  July  first. 

Rate  of  seeding.  For  raising  seed,  drill  in  rows  28  to  30  inches 
apart,  dropping  the  seed  three  to  four  inches  apart,  and  cover 
about  an  inch  deep. 

For  the  large  seeded  varieties,  one-half  bushel  will  plant  an 
acre. 

For  use  as  a  green  manure  or  pasturage,  and  probably  also 
for  hay  or  for  soiling,  the  beans  can  be  broadcast,  or  better, 
drilled  with  a  grain  drill,  stopping  every  other  hole  so  as  to  have 
the  drill  rows  fourteen  inches  apart,  using  ij4  bushels  of  seed 
per  acre. 

Tillage.  When  planted  in  rows  28  to  30  inches  apart,  for  seed 
or  forage,  the  crop  should  be  cultivated  until  the  plants  are  a 
foot  high,  when,  on  fairly  clean  land,  the  beans  will  not  need 
further  attention. 

Time  of  harvest.  Seed  may  be  harvested  after  all  the  leaves 
have  fallen — even  after  frost,  if  the  pods  do  not  shatter. 

At  present  no  special  machinery  is  available  for  harvesting 
seed.  We  have  pulled  the  plants,  tied  them  in  bunches,  dried 
them  in  loose  stacks  and  threshed  them  with  flails,  or  better,  with 
a  Koger  bean  thresher. 

The  largest  yield  of  hay  or  feed  for  soiling  stock  is  obtained 
by  cutting  when  the  lowest  leaves  on  the  stalks  are  turning  yellow. 
From  that  time  on  the  crop  looses  its  leaves,  and  with  them  its 
value,  quite  rapidly. 

WHAT  USE  CAN  BE  MADE  OF  SOY  BEANS  IN 
CONNECTICUT? 

To  summarize  briefly  the  discussion  in  previous  bulletins : 

I.     As  a  catch  crop  following  winter-killed  grain  or  clover  or 

a  poor  spring  seeding.     Can  be  sown  safely  from  May  first  until 

the  middle  of  June. 


lO  CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION    BULLETIN    I93. 

2.  As  a  late  summer  crop  for  soiling  cattle;  furnishing  con- 
centrated roughage  from  the  latter  part  of  August  to  frost.  It 
is  scarcely  inferior  to  alfalfa  in  feeding  value,  though  its  yield 
per  acre  is  less.  Choose  the  earliest  maturing  varieties  for  the 
first  feeding,  and  sow  at  the  same  time  later  maturing  kinds. 

3.  As  an  ensilage  crop,  either  grown  along  with  corn  (a 
practice  which  is  being  studied  by  the  Storrs  Station)  or  grown 
separately  and  cut  into  the  silo  with  corn,  using  about  three  tons 
of  corn  to  one  of  soys. 

4.  As  a  nitrogen-gathering  green  manure;  see  the  remarks 
On  page  7. 

5.  As  a  seed  crop. 


HOW  MUCH  PLANT  FOOD  DOES  A  CORN  CROP  TAKE 
FROM  AN  ACRE? 

The  characters  of  soil,  fertiHzers  and  season,  as  well  as  the 
weight  of  crop,  affect  the  amount  of  plant  food  removed.  The 
following  facts,  hoAvever,  make  possible  a  fairly  reasonable 
estimate. 

In  nine  series  of  tests  with  husking,  as  well  as  silage,  corn, 
most  of  them  in  the  Northeastern  states,  the  average  amounts 
of  nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid,  and  potash  removed  by  the  crop 
were  the  following,  in  pounds  per  acre : 

Highest.  Lowest.  Average. 

Nitrogen 95.8  ^2>■^  87.5 

Phosphoric  acid 61.0  23.0  42.0 

Potash 99.7  36.2  67.1 

Six  tests  this  year  at  the  Mt.  Carmel  field  gave,  for  a  crop  of 
15  tons  of  ensilage  corn,  the  average  figures  under  A  below. 

Several  crops  of  husking  corn,  grown  elsewhere  in  Connect- 
icut, calculated  to  75  bushels  per  acre,  gave  the  average  figures 
under  B. 

A  B 

Nitrogen   88  92 

Phosphoric  acid   37  34 

Potash   100  74 

HOW  MUCH  OF  THIS  MAY  GO  BACK  IN  MANURE? 

Suppose  30  tons  of  ensilage  corn  from  one  acre  are  fed  to 
cows  in  milk.  Some  25-30  per  cent  of  the  nitrogen  and  phos- 
phoric acid  and  a  smaller  proportion  of  the  potash  in  the  crop 
go  into  milk  or  flesh,  and  somewhere  about  63  lbs.  of  nitrogen, 
30  of  phosphoric  acid  and  50-60  lbs.  of  potash  are  voided  in  dung 
and  urine.  More  than  half  of  the  nitrogen  and  the  most  valuable 
part  of  it  is  in  the  urine,  as  well  as  more  than  two-thirds  of  the 
potash. 

Every  pound  of  the  nitrogen  which  is  in  liquid  form  is  worth 
at  present  25  cents.  That  in  the  dung  is  probably  worth  not 
more  than  half  as  much. 

With  all  care  in  keeping  manure,  a  loss  of  15  per  cent  of  the 
nitrogen  is  unavoidable.  Careless  storage  will  result  in  wasting 
half  of  it,  or  more. 


12  CONNECTICUT    EXPERIMENT    STATION    REPORT,    I916. 

With  such  care  as  Mr.  Southwick  has  suggested  in  the  Exten- 
sion Bulletin  of  December  20th,  there  may  be  returned  to  the 
field  in  manure  from  30  tons  of  ensilage,  perhaps  50  pounds 
of  nitrogen,  25-30  of  phosphoric  acid  and  45-50  of  potash. 

The  above  is  only  a  general  approximation.  It  does  not  include 
the  fertilizing  ingredients  in  the  litter,  nor  the  fermenting  organic 
matter,  which  has  great  value  as  an  amendment  and,  indirectly, 
as  a  solvent  of  plant  food. 


University  of 
Connecticut 

Libraries 


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